Hello and welcome to another Food Friday, this week is a little different to usual as, well, I’ve been rather lazy this week and I haven’t been doing much cooking. I have, however, been doing a lot of eating. A lot of good eating. I ate very well indeed… So here is part two of a special holiday edition here is my little food-focused guide to Melbourne. Enjoy.
Melbourne is described as being the most European city in Australia; in travel guides this refers to its wide boulevards, trams and old(er) buildings. However, the city is also famous for its Tapas restaurants and craft beers, which all help Melbourne live up to this European reputationd. However, we manage to take a fantastic food journey across the world, whilst staying in this fantastic city…
Starting in Spain (sadly despite trying we weren’t able to get a reservation in one of the famous Movida Tapas chain. This is due to the first week of January being holiday time, where most melbournites leave the city for the beach, unlike Sydney, there aren’t hundred of beaches near by) we were able to dine on Tapas down at Melbourne’s own beach resort – St Kilda.
Located on the cosmopolitan Fitzroy Street (a mix of backpackers and tourists), whilst disguised as a restaurant, like any Spanish place, Pelican is just as much about the wine as the food and indeed in some cases the wine is much better.
The popcorn chicken with tarragon & lemon dipping sauce was a bit scrappy and the patatas bravas a little generic, but the warm beetroot salad with truffled pecorino & watercress was excellent and the pulled, spiced lamb with fennel seed flatbread to die for. The service and welcome (ok the waiter was Scottish) was great, in all, recommended.
Heading east from Spain to Italy, our best meal of the trip (and maybe in the top ten of all time) was found on the same street as our apartment (the excellent Punthill Grand Melbourne). An unassuming place Da Noi doesn’t have a website, nor a menu as such but instead offers a tasting menu with which you put your dinner in the hands of the excellent kitchen.
No menu at Da Noi ever the same, specially designed every day with fresh produce from their farm, this might be a brave choice, but a really rewarding one nonetheless. The food was simple, from grilled green beans and beetroot with baked muscles and skate, to mushroom ravioli with veal, to grilled lamb chops and salad, finished with a trio of desserts, but every course was exceptional. Da Noi might not be a budget choice but it deserves its price tag.
Our next step eastwards was easy as the city has a plethora of Lebanese inspired restaurants and hidden down in the depths of Windsoris a little treat – Mama Ganoush.
Taking the Spanish approach (again) Mama Ganoush offers a range of sharing dishes, from hummus to traditional tabouleh salad to grilled quail in garlic, turkish chilli & fresh thyme and cabbage rolls of ground lamb and rice with minted tomato salsa.
They also do a selection of larger mains, but we stuck to sharing. If you need more persuading, Mama Ganoush is owned by the brother of famous Melbourne chef Greg Malouf (Malouf’s Mezza).
As for Asian food (a staple of Australia life) with one of the best names for a noodle bar ever (guess what they wanted to actually call it?) MoPho Noodle Bar, situated in a little laneway off Yarra Street behind South Yarra station comes highly recommended. The chef/owner is famous for his stints at other famous restaurants (yadda, yadda) but all you need to know is the plates are huge, the noodles are great and they do endename beans (my favourite). Great if you are staying in the rather fancy Chapel Street for somewhere a little more down to earth.
They say coffee in Melbourne is a way of life…and with coffee comes the coffee shops which there are hundreds. My tip is to search out the quirky and unique, avoid the laneways – where it is fun to people watch, but the price is jacked up.
1000 £ Bend is located in the city centre on Little Lonsdale Street and is described as a place to eat, drink, write, draw, relax, ponder, experiment, listen, watch, evolve, enjoy or as I put it, just sit back on a comfy couch, drink good cheap coffee and watch the fish. There is also a thriving craft beer scene in Melbourne, but the best Australian beer still has to be Little Creatures.
However, whilst the brewery is actually out in Western Australia, Little Creature’s have a dining hall on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. The barn of a building is great for big parties (the pizza’s look great) but just as fun for couples popping in for a few beers. Exported to the UK god-knows how many years ago, the Pale Ale is a well respected and enjoyed craft beer, but LC also does an excellent cider (Pipsqueak) and golden ale (Bright Ale) and amber ale (Rodger’s). The Bright Ale went down a treat.
After all that eating and drinking we had to do a bit of wandering around the famous laneways, took a few trams and of course enjoyed our view from the balcony!
One of Melbourne’s famous laneways
The view from our balcony over the city
On a tram…
Have you been to Melbourne, any other recommendations?
Miss S x
